Album review: 'Beautiful: Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh,' by Kankick

Patrick Varine

Monday

Mar 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMMar 30, 2009 at 12:43 PM

If you're looking to get your party started, "Beautiful: Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh" might not be quite the right vehicle. But once the party's winding down, and you and your people are just settling in during the late-night hours, its lilting piano loops and fuzzy jazz-based hip-hop is the perfect accompaniment for slowly nodding your head and drifting into a daze on the couch.

Kankick has made a name for himself in the West Coast hip-hop scene alongside fellow Oxnard natives Madlib and Oh No, crafted laidback, smoky instrumentals, occasionally releasing an album with guest spots ("From Artz Unknown").

"Beautiful: Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh" continues Kankick's tradition of low-key loops and fuzzed-out jazziness. "Thursdays at the Good Life" rocks a lounge piano and background bells, "Black Women Candle Wax" uses a little static to augment the simple synth melody, and a river of bubbling crowd noise percolates under the mellow loop that powers "Continued Togetherness."

Piano figures heavy on "Beautiful," and some of Kankick's best work throughout the disc's 58 minutes is anchored on lilting, mid-range keywork ("NightTime Beauty," "Serenade the Outdoor Visitors," and what kind of sounds like an electric piano played in reverse on "OX Coming at Ya").

If you're looking to get your party started, "Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh" might not be quite the right vehicle. But once the party's winding down, and you and your people are just settling in during the late night hours, it's the perfect accompaniment for slowly nodding your head and drifting into a daze on the couch.

Listen to samples from "Beautiful" at Amazon.com, or visit Kankick's MySpace site.